Balochistan Assembly: Resolution passed against anti-Islam film

Members brief provincial legislators about devastation caused by floods in Balochistan.

QUETTA:

The Balochistan Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution against a US-made anti-Islam film, which has sparked fury across the Muslim world.

At least 26 people were killed in Pakistan, during protests against the film, titled ‘Innocence of Muslims’, on Friday, which was observed as Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh) Day.

Lawmakers Ainullah Shamas, Jaffar Mandokhel, Zamurak Khan, Habibur Rehman Muhammad Hassni, Dr Fozia Marri, Nasreen Khetran, and others condemned the controversial film and tabled the resolution in protest against it.

The resolution was subsequently passed.

The rest of the session, which was chaired by Deputy Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha, focused on the devastating floods in Balochistan.

Speaking on a point of order, Provincial Minister for Zakaat Saleem Khoso said flash floods triggered by heavy rain have wreaked havoc in the province, “uprooting hundreds of people” in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad and Jhal Magsi districts. He claimed that the official death toll was a lot less than the actual number of deaths.

Khoso said the floods have inundated Jaffarabad district. Dera Allahyar, the district headquarters, is still submerged in four feet of floodwater.

Much of Naseerabad district is also under water, he added.

Had the irrigation department paid serious attention to strengthen the embankments of canals in eastern Balochistan after the 2010 floods, minimum losses could have taken place in the floods this year, he regretted.

“The canals of eastern Balochistan have developed several breaches and the irrigation system of the region is badly damaged,” he said.

Khoso also blamed the Sindh government for diverting floods from Jacobabad district of Sindh to Jaffarabad district of Balochistan.

He said tens of thousands of food victims were deprived of food and drinking water, and were falling prey to epidemics.

Meanwhile, a joint resolution was tabled in the assembly to accept some districts of Balochistan as tribal areas and provide them facilities that are given to other districts in the country. Education Minister Tahir Mehmood Khan also tabled the Bill 2012 of the University of Loralai.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2012.